By CODY LOVE
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — It was clear in the first inning that Anderson Burgess (Coppin State) was in command.
In the end, he put on a stellar performance, fanning 11 in seven innings pitched as the Syracuse Salt Cats blanked the Syracuse Jr. Chiefs 5-0 to earn a weekend sweep at Onondaga Stadium on Sunday night.
Burgess struck out the side in the first inning (despite allowing two of his three walks on the day), and bookended his day by striking out the side in the seventh.
“I had a good fastball today,” Burgess said, “I think I did a good job of getting ahead and attacking the zone early.”
His only sign of trouble came after a two-out triple by Justin Healey (Widener) in the third.
“I made a mistake,” Burgess said, “He put a good swing on it, and hit it out to left.”
Burgess escaped the situation, striking out the dangerous Joe Boland (St. Thomas Aquinas) to end the inning.
Although the Salt Cats only managed five hits, they were helped by five errors by the Jr. Chiefs. Two of the Salt Cats’ runs were unearned.
Their biggest inning was the sixth, in which they scored three runs. Their three hits were aided by errors, wild pitches, balks, and dropped third strikes.
“We’ve got to compete harder, play harder, be more focused,” Jr. Chiefs head coach Matt Colbert said, “We have to be better all around.”
Colbert was out of the game by that point, having been ejected early in the game for arguing with the umpire.
“I probably should have approached it differently,” Colbert said. “But I’m going to go to battle for my guys every day.”
The Salt Cats offense was also helped by their aggressiveness on the basepaths, a common theme in their victories.
Cameron Dias (Rutgers-Newark) scored the first run after reaching base on a dropped third strike.
He hustled to third after an errant pickoff attempt by Jr. Chiefs starter Roman Wild (St. Bonaventure).
A grounder by Julian Bilodeau (Palm Beach Atlantic), went to the third baseman Michael Elfreth (Widener), who beat Dias home with the throw, but the quick Dias avoided the tag.
“This is college baseball,” Head Coach Mike Martinez said, “You learn a long time ago to run on the baseline because good things happen when you hustle.”
Kyle Perez (SUNY Brockport), and Kyle Taylor (Gloucester County College) each pitched one inning of relief for the Salt Cats. Neither allowed a hit.
Roman Wild struck out six in the losing effort for the Jr. Chiefs.
No player on either team got more than one hit.
Julian Bilodeau and Adam Thoryk (Alma College) each had one RBI.
The Salt Cats improved to 8-3 overall and 4-0 in home games. They lead the NYCBL East Division at this early stage of the season.
The Jr. Chiefs could have tied them atop the standings with a win, but instead fall to 6-5 and fourth place based on a win percentage tiebreaker with the Geneva Red Wings (4-3).
The Jr. Chiefs have a day off before traveling to Damaschke Field to take on the Oneonta Outlaws (5-3) on Tuesday. The Salt Cats next NYCBL game is on Tuesday as well. They travel to Noyes Park to face the Sherrill Silversmiths (1-8).
Tomorrow, the Salt Cats play an exhibition game against the Elmira Pioneers of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League at Onondaga Stadium.
Martinez is excited to see how his team matches up against a non-league opponent.
“The PGCBL is a classy league with a lot of good players,” he said, “We need to go out and send a message with regard to the NYCBL that we can compete anywhere in the United States.”
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